Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani faced hitters in live batting practice Sunday afternoon for the first time since having elbow surgery in September 2023. Ohtani has been building up slowly these last few weeks and had thrown off a mound in the bullpen several times. Sunday was his first time facing hitters. It is a significant milestone in his rehab.
With a horde of Dodgers personnel watching, Ohtani threw 22 pitches across five plate appearances to teammates Hyeseong Kim and Dalton Rushing, and Dodgers game-planning and communication coach J.T. Watkins. Pitching coach Mark Prior told reporters, including The Athletic, that Ohtani touched 97 mph during Sunday’s throwing session.
“If it kind of works out as it should, he’s a top-end starter,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Ohtani’s throwing session Sunday (via the Los Angeles Times). “And so that’s kind of all of our expectations.”
The Dodgers have said Ohtani will not go out on a typical minor-league rehab assignment before stepping into the rotation. He will remain with the team so he’s available to hit while going through his pitching rehab work in controlled simulated games. That is how the Los Angeles Angels built Ohtani up following his first elbow surgery in October 2018.
Before his elbow gave out in 2023, Ohtani had thrown 132 innings with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts. He pitched to a 2.84 ERA with 542 strikeouts in 428 1/3 innings from 2021-23. This is not a novelty act. Ohtani is a difference-making pitcher and he figures to be a significant upgrade to a battered Dodgers’ rotation.
Los Angeles currently has seven starting pitchers on the injured list and that doesn’t include Ohtani, who is active as a hitter but is not yet ready to pitch in games. The team’s rotation depth chart currently looks like this:
RHP Shohei Ohtani(rehabbing from elbow surgery)- RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
LHP Blake Snell(out with shoulder inflammation)RHP Tyler Glasnow(out with shoulder inflammation)- LHP Clayton Kershaw
RHP Roki Sasaki(out with shoulder impingement)- RHP Dustin May
- RHP Tony Gonsolin
RHP Gavin Stone(will miss 2025 with shoulder surgery)- RHP Landon Knack
- RHP Bobby Miller
- LHP Justin Wrobleski
RHP River Ryan(will miss 2025 with Tommy John surgery)RHP Emmet Sheehan(will miss most of 2025 with Tommy John surgery)RHP Kyle Hurt(will miss most of 2025 with Tommy John surgery)
Glasnow and Snell recently started throwing programs but are weeks away from rejoining the rotation, as is Ohtani. It’s usually a six-week build up from playing catch to throwing bullpen sessions to throwing live batting practice to making rehab starts to pitching in MLB games. The Dodgers are handling Ohtani very carefully though. His build up figures to take several weeks longer.
Despite a payroll that is pushing $400 million, the Dodgers have used 13 different starting pitchers in 52 games. No team has used more. That is in part by design. The Dodgers use the regular season almost as a dress rehearsal. Their priority is being in the best position heading into October, so all their pitching decisions are made with the big picture in mind.
The Dodgers entered play Sunday in first place in the NL West at 32-20. Ohtani owns a .296/.390/.631 batting line with 17 homers and 11 stolen bases on the season. He is a three-time unanimous MVP.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Shohei Ohtani’s 22-pitch BP session — that included a 97 mph offering — created a buzz: ‘The stuff is there’
NEW YORK — At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Shohei Ohtani climbed a big league hill for the first time in 614 days.It wasn’t in front of a sold-out crowd. The Citi Field gates hadn’t even opened. There were no fielders. The catcher called balls and strikes. His opponents were a pair of rookie teammates and a member of the Dodgers coaching staff who hadn’t faced professional pitching in nine years.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOfficially, it was just a live batting practice session, a low-stakes environment for a recovering pitcher to ease back into competition. But because it was Ohtani, the session morphed into a can't-miss event. That it was the three-time MVP’s first time pitching against hitters since his second career reconstructive elbow surgery, only added to the anticipation.“You know, I've gotten so used to seeing him as a hitter,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts […]
Ozzie Albies’ surge, Austin Riley errors and more: 4 Braves takeaways
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. made his much-anticipated return from the injured list and provided the most electric moment of the Atlanta Braves’ season by hitting a 467-foot first-pitch homer to lead off his first game back after being out nearly a year following knee surgery.Acuña supplied other highlights with his bat, glove and arm during a sold-out three-game series against the San Diego Padres. But in the end, the third-place Braves lost two of three to the Padres, slipping to 25-27 and 8 1/2 games behind National League East leader Philadelphia before a three-game road series against the Phillies that starts Tuesday.AdvertisementIt wasn’t what the Braves or their fans had in mind for Acuña Weekend, particularly after he started it off with such a bang. He was the first player in MLB history to hit a leadoff homer after […]
Kelsey Plum just clowned Angel Reese with the most savage move in basketball-and Caitlin Clark is probably loving it
The WNBA has become one of the most competitive leagues, with each game intensifying rivalries through bold gestures. After the spotlight on Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Plum now steals the show, proving herself a stellar addition to the Los Angeles Sparks.Caitlin Clark makes Brittney Griner cuss her out during a heated gameKelsey Plum's Defiant Gesture Toward Angel ReeseSince her trade to the Sparks in February, Plum has led the team in points (24.0), assists (5.0), and steals (3.0). On Sunday, she solidified her value in a 91-78 win over the Chicago Sky.In a game where she dropped 28 points and dished out eight assists, Plum made headlines with a "too small" gesture after easily blowing past Angel Reese for an uncontested layup.Game Recap: Liberty @ Fever (5/24/25)Reese, of the Sky, has been under scrutiny lately for her rumored rivalry with Indiana […]
Phillies takeaways: Matt Strahm’s hiccup, a potential lineup shuffle, Aaron Nola’s delayed return
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The second pitch Matt Strahm threw Sunday afternoon registered 94.3 mph, the hardest he’s thrown a fastball all season, and it did not matter much. He yanked it for ball one to Logan Davidson in the eighth inning of a 5-4 loss to the Athletics.His next three pitches were balls. Davidson scored when a lefty, Lawrence Butler, smacked a triple to right. Strahm floated a cutter to Willie MacIver, a catcher making his big-league debut, and that run-scoring single was the game.AdvertisementIt all started with the walk.“Way too many this year,” Strahm said. “I feel like they all score.”Only three of Strahm’s six walks have scored, but the veteran lefty won’t like that either. He has a 3.32 ERA in 21 2/3 innings; the hard contact he had allowed during the road trip hadn’t burned him […]
Connor McDavid adds another element for Oilers to celebrate in Game 3: Multiple goals
EDMONTON – There isn’t another hockey player on the planet like Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid.When he’s at his best, he’s akin to a cheat code in the easy mode of a video game, darting around the ice with speed only a few can match and with edgework that’s second to none. His former general manager with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, Sherry Bassin, likes to say he has a two-second advantage because of how quickly he can process the game compared to his peers. Such skating and vision make him arguably the most dangerous offensive threat in NHL history.AdvertisementBut the thing about McDavid, dating to the time he tore up minor-hockey circles in the Greater Toronto Area with and against kids a year older, is that he’s long been known as a selfless teammate when in control of […]
Novo presidente da CBF, Samir Xaud anuncia redução dos campeonatos estaduais para 11 datas
Samir Xaud na sede da CBF (Créditos: Rafael Ribeiro/ CBF) Neste domingo (25), a Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), Samir Xaud iniciou a sua gestão com uma mudança significativa no futebol nacional. O novo presidente da entidade garantiu que haverá alterações no formato dos jogos do estadual. A partir de 2026, os campeonatos devem ser disputados apenas em 11 datas. Samir Xaud realizará mudanças nos estaduais A informação divulgada durante a entrevista da GE com o novo presidente da CBF trouxe detalhes: “Estamos projetando fazer com 11 datar a partir do ano que vem. É uma singela demonstração de que nós queremos mesmo que mude. Nós começaremos com o pé direito”. Sobre as mudanças de estaduais, Xaud disse: “Não acredito que teremos problemas. Os Estaduais agora terão que se adequar às normas da CBF”. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE A problemática sobre os […]
Related
Shohei Ohtani’s 22-pitch BP session — that included a 97 mph offering — created a buzz: ‘The stuff is there’
NEW YORK — At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Shohei Ohtani climbed a big league hill for the first time in 614 days.It wasn’t in front of a sold-out crowd. The Citi Field gates hadn’t even opened. There were no fielders. The catcher called balls and strikes. His opponents were a pair of rookie teammates and a member of the Dodgers coaching staff who hadn’t faced professional pitching in nine years.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOfficially, it was just a live batting practice session, a low-stakes environment for a recovering pitcher to ease back into competition. But because it was Ohtani, the session morphed into a can't-miss event. That it was the three-time MVP’s first time pitching against hitters since his second career reconstructive elbow surgery, only added to the anticipation.“You know, I've gotten so used to seeing him as a hitter,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts […]
Ozzie Albies’ surge, Austin Riley errors and more: 4 Braves takeaways
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. made his much-anticipated return from the injured list and provided the most electric moment of the Atlanta Braves’ season by hitting a 467-foot first-pitch homer to lead off his first game back after being out nearly a year following knee surgery.Acuña supplied other highlights with his bat, glove and arm during a sold-out three-game series against the San Diego Padres. But in the end, the third-place Braves lost two of three to the Padres, slipping to 25-27 and 8 1/2 games behind National League East leader Philadelphia before a three-game road series against the Phillies that starts Tuesday.AdvertisementIt wasn’t what the Braves or their fans had in mind for Acuña Weekend, particularly after he started it off with such a bang. He was the first player in MLB history to hit a leadoff homer after […]
Kelsey Plum just clowned Angel Reese with the most savage move in basketball-and Caitlin Clark is probably loving it
The WNBA has become one of the most competitive leagues, with each game intensifying rivalries through bold gestures. After the spotlight on Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Plum now steals the show, proving herself a stellar addition to the Los Angeles Sparks.Caitlin Clark makes Brittney Griner cuss her out during a heated gameKelsey Plum's Defiant Gesture Toward Angel ReeseSince her trade to the Sparks in February, Plum has led the team in points (24.0), assists (5.0), and steals (3.0). On Sunday, she solidified her value in a 91-78 win over the Chicago Sky.In a game where she dropped 28 points and dished out eight assists, Plum made headlines with a "too small" gesture after easily blowing past Angel Reese for an uncontested layup.Game Recap: Liberty @ Fever (5/24/25)Reese, of the Sky, has been under scrutiny lately for her rumored rivalry with Indiana […]
Phillies takeaways: Matt Strahm’s hiccup, a potential lineup shuffle, Aaron Nola’s delayed return
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The second pitch Matt Strahm threw Sunday afternoon registered 94.3 mph, the hardest he’s thrown a fastball all season, and it did not matter much. He yanked it for ball one to Logan Davidson in the eighth inning of a 5-4 loss to the Athletics.His next three pitches were balls. Davidson scored when a lefty, Lawrence Butler, smacked a triple to right. Strahm floated a cutter to Willie MacIver, a catcher making his big-league debut, and that run-scoring single was the game.AdvertisementIt all started with the walk.“Way too many this year,” Strahm said. “I feel like they all score.”Only three of Strahm’s six walks have scored, but the veteran lefty won’t like that either. He has a 3.32 ERA in 21 2/3 innings; the hard contact he had allowed during the road trip hadn’t burned him […]
Connor McDavid adds another element for Oilers to celebrate in Game 3: Multiple goals
EDMONTON – There isn’t another hockey player on the planet like Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid.When he’s at his best, he’s akin to a cheat code in the easy mode of a video game, darting around the ice with speed only a few can match and with edgework that’s second to none. His former general manager with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, Sherry Bassin, likes to say he has a two-second advantage because of how quickly he can process the game compared to his peers. Such skating and vision make him arguably the most dangerous offensive threat in NHL history.AdvertisementBut the thing about McDavid, dating to the time he tore up minor-hockey circles in the Greater Toronto Area with and against kids a year older, is that he’s long been known as a selfless teammate when in control of […]
Novo presidente da CBF, Samir Xaud anuncia redução dos campeonatos estaduais para 11 datas
Samir Xaud na sede da CBF (Créditos: Rafael Ribeiro/ CBF) Neste domingo (25), a Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), Samir Xaud iniciou a sua gestão com uma mudança significativa no futebol nacional. O novo presidente da entidade garantiu que haverá alterações no formato dos jogos do estadual. A partir de 2026, os campeonatos devem ser disputados apenas em 11 datas. Samir Xaud realizará mudanças nos estaduais A informação divulgada durante a entrevista da GE com o novo presidente da CBF trouxe detalhes: “Estamos projetando fazer com 11 datar a partir do ano que vem. É uma singela demonstração de que nós queremos mesmo que mude. Nós começaremos com o pé direito”. Sobre as mudanças de estaduais, Xaud disse: “Não acredito que teremos problemas. Os Estaduais agora terão que se adequar às normas da CBF”. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE A problemática sobre os […]
Be the first to leave a comment